1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to drawer assemblies for use with desk units, and, more specifically, to such drawer assemblies which are formed unitarily of plastic as a single molding and configured to form a drawer thereafter.
2. The Prior Art
A variety of plastic containers exist in the market, typically formed by conventional plastic molding operations such as injection molding or gas assisted molding. The containers are molded into a box shape and are subsequently shipped to their retail outlet in a nested stack in order to minimize shipping costs.
Despite efforts to minimize shipping costs by transporting containers in the nested stack, such costs still constitute a considerable component in the overall cost of the product to consumers. Hence, a need exists for a container which can be shipped in an even more compact configuration in order to reduce its cost.
It is also known to make cardboard or plastic containers out of a single blank such that the blanks may be shipped in a compact stack and subsequently formed into a container by the end user. U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,422 shows a composite container formed from a blank which is creased to fold into the shape of a box. Flaps are formed at the ends of the sidewalls and overlap the outside surface of an adjacent panel to create the container body. The flaps can be overlapped in a locking manner to hold the container in its shape. The container which results has a functional, utilitarian appearance, however, making it ill-suited for applications where a more finished appearance is desired. In addition, this structure is only capable of being manufactured from a material which is flexible, such as cardboard, and not from a more rigid material such as plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,790 teaches a container which is formed unitarily out of a single plastic molding, having connective hinges along lower edges of the side and end panels. After the molding is formed, the side and end panels are rotated into an upright configuration. However, the container side and end panels must be welded together to retain their upright status, a procedure which adds to the cost of the product and which makes the product ill suited for applications where the containers are intended to be shipped in flat stacks for subsequent assembly by the end user, or for applications where the container is required to be repeatedly assembled and disassembled by the user.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the industry is in need of a container which can be formed of plastic as a single molded blank, such that multiple containers can be shipped in a stack in order to minimize shipping costs. Moreover, each molded blank must be reconfigurable into the finished container by the end user, without specialized tools or materials. In addition, the molded blank must have means for securely retaining the side and end panels in an upright condition, yet the container should also facilitate its dissassembly by the end user if so desired. Finally, the container in the assembled state should ideally have smooth, uninterrupted inner and outer surfaces whereby creating a finished appearance. Such a capability is critical to certain product applications, e.g. as in furniture drawers, where appearance is vital to the acceptance of the product.